Walk the Great Wall for 7 Hours at Gubeikou, Jinshanling, and Simatai

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Our car or minivan will pick you up from your hotel at about 7:30 am. From your pick up, we will drive directly to the Gubeikou Great Wall. The drive should take a little over 2.5 hours. The Gubeikou Great Wall occupies a strategically important location, which is difficult to access. The Wall here is entirely unrestored, covered with over 140 watchtowers, all differing in size and design. You will witness how the wall twists and winds along with the steep mountain range from the Wall here. 

In 1933, the Chinese army fought against Japanese invasion troops in Gubeikou. In the four-month-long battles, over 5,000 Japanese soldiers and 9,000 Chinese soldiers died. It was terrific that the ancient Wall is not merely a relic, but it remained a battlefield in the modern world. 

Much of the hiking that we will do on Jinshanling today is relatively easy, as the Wall here is partially restored, and the surface is smoother. Jinshanling has five main passes and 67 watchtowers. Every 100 meters (328 feet), there is an enemy tower, each of which is about ten meters (33 feet) high. Featuring various structures and having different functions, those watchtowers are either one tiered or two-tiered. 

For lunch, we'll take a brief walk down the Wall to a local farmer's restaurant owned by Mr. Duan Jiujun. His family will make a delicious country-style meal for you and may invite you to tour his small photo gallery (he takes photographs of the Great Wall as a hobby) after your stomach becomes full. Great Wall Adventure Club certifies this restaurant. 

Following lunch, we'll make our way back onto the Great Wall to cross over into West Simatai. While the eastern portion of Simatai is closed due to government maintenance and repairs, the western section of the Simatai Great Wall is still open to hikers. The Simatai section of the Great Wall is one of the few sections to retain the Great Wall's original appearance. Incorporating various characteristics of other areas of the Great Wall, Simatai also displays some unique features of its own. It is often described with the following five words: perilous, dense, diverse, artful, and peculiar. 

After 7-8 hours of walking, you will descend the Great Wall and start going back to Beijing. We'll then drive back to Beijing. You will be dropped off back at your hotel at about 9 pm.